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The following contains spoilers for NCIS Season 20, Episode 3, "Unearth," which debuted Monday, Oct. 3 on CBS.
The officially Gibbs-less NCIS Season 20 is off to a slow start. Its premiere settled Season 19's cliffhanger in very disappointing fashion and cleared Parker's name. Season 20, Episode 3, "Unearth" made up for that disappointment when it focused in on Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard and Nick Torres. Ducky has been around since the very beginning of NCIS, and the episode literally celebrated his character.
The episode's subplot involved Kasie Hines planning a surprise birthday party for the NCIS fan-favorite, but it fell apart because Ducky perceptively picked up on the team's plans. That wasn't nearly as concerning as the main storyline that centered on Torres and called back to speculation that Wilmer Valderrama is leaving the CBS series. Fans ended the episode once again concerned for Torres' well-being.
NCIS Fans Were Already Concerned For Torres
Agent Torres has had a really rough time over the past few seasons. Midway through Season 18, his long-lost and presumed dead father showed up just to abandon him again. At the end of Season 18, his love interest Ellie Bishop left NCIS to become a spy. Then Gibbs' decision to also move on from NCIS sent Torres into a bit of a tailspin for part of Season 19 since Torres saw Gibbs as a mentor figure, even though Alden Parker was a great replacement.
Couple Torres' difficult time last season with the news that Valderrama had multiple projects in the works, and some NCIS fans thought he would be killed off before Season 20. The synopsis for "Unearth" mentioned that "As Torres continues therapy with Dr. Grace, he discovers that their lives are in danger," which was enough for viewers to once again theorize that Torres would die.
The plot involved buried treasure and magical curses, with killers needing to find the person who had hidden their stolen treasure. That led them to Dr. Grace because she had treated that person. Torres walked in on the kidnapping. so the criminals took him too. And while Torres wasn't killed, he was shot in the shoulder -- suggesting that his difficulties have only just begun.
Why Torres Is in for a Rough Season 20
As "Unearth" ended, Torres decided that he should be more open with his friends because he was tired of being the lone wolf. But that doesn't mean much will change for him. Back in May, NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder told TVLine that "He's got these internal pressures building up inside him, and at some point, you pop, and I think that's in his future." Later in the interview, he said "I think we're gonna go pretty dark with [Torres], but we try and do it in a way that doesn't destroy what we love about the character."
While it seems like Torres is doing better, things are going to get worse for him in the immediate future. The only question is whether he will come out better for his struggles or if he will be written out with his possible love interest to accommodate Valderrama's additional projects. While the character hasn't been killed off yet, that also remains an option. At least it hasn't happened so far in Season 20.
NCIS airs Mondays at 9:00 p.m. on CBS and streams on Paramount+.